4 Ways To Stay Put Without Feeling Stuck

Is your home starting to feel a little cramped or tired?

Perhaps you’re torn about moving because your location is great, the kids love their school, or you just think it would be prudent to build up more equity before making the leap. Don’t despair. There are many ways to make your home look new without having to pack a single box.

Expand usable space. Consider turning a garage into a workshop, game room, or “man cave.” Subdivide your basement into extra bedrooms, an additional bathroom, or even a home theater room that will better accommodate your big-screen TV. Transform a back porch into an extra bedroom or home office by enclosing the walls and upgrading the floor. Garage transformations can be particularly dramatic with the installation of wall storage units, bold paint on drywall, and the addition of a decorative concrete floor.

Liven up drab walls. Paint is an inexpensive way to freshen up a living space. Head to your neighborhood paint store, and peruse the thousands of available colors to dress up your home. (If you want to do something really special, consider a decorative painted finish, such as a Venetian plaster, a metallic stripe, or even a trompe l’oeil mural, which will make the room appear even larger.) Or consider wallpaper. While some people might be concerned about removing it at a later date, an increasing number of collections are being printed on non-woven substrates, making it easier to hang and remove. There are also a variety of appliqué-type products.

Revitalize your kitchen and bath. Most real-estate agents and home-improvement experts agree that remodeling your kitchen or bathroom will still give you the most bang for your buck. Kitchen or bath revitalization projects don’t have to be extensive. They might be as simple as painting the walls and cabinets or adding new window treatments. Countertops can be changed economically with the use of a countertop paint treatment that can provide the look of granite for a fraction of the cost.

Upgrade outdoor areas. Consumers can greatly expand their living spaces by enhancing decks and patios. Peruse the stain samples at your local paint store to select a color scheme. Stain the floorboards in one color and the railings in a complementary or contrasting hue to give your deck a livelier look. Easy-to-use products allow homeowners to add style to concrete patios by creating dramatic faux-finish and mosaic patterns.